City, local leaders break ground on ‘future of conservation’

Landan Kuhlmann

Published 11:38 am, Saturday, February 13, 2016

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Fort Bend County Precinct Four Commissioner James Patterson (right), Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson and community leaders initiate work on the New Territory Reused Water System. It will streamline water conservation and save the city a projected $18 million over 30 years. less

Fort Bend County Precinct Four Commissioner James Patterson (right), Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson and community leaders initiate work on the New Territory Reused Water System. It will streamline water ... more

City, local leaders break ground on ‘future of conservation’

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Yesterday morning, the Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District (LID) District No.7 initiated work on the New Territory Reused Water System to improve water conservation for the 17,000-resident community.

Fort Bend Count Precinct 4 Commissioner James Patterson praised LID members’ foresight and persistence in helping the project get off the ground. Discussions with LID members began as simple as putting spray-system monitors on for irrigation, but soon morphed into a discussion on how they could begin reusing their water.

Approved as part of a $14.5 million bond election in May 2014, the system will deliver 200 million gallons of re-usable water per year previously supplied by underground wells. However, Patterson explained the proposition did not come without its fair share of potential roadblocks.

“When you start giving LIDs power and the city is going to annex, the city’s not necessarily excited about that,” he said.

Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson acknowledged the same.

“We did have a concern because we knew in the future that this would be part of the city of Sugar Land,” he said. “But we do have common goals.” The entities managed to work through the disagreements without burning any bridges.

Patterson said what makes Fort Bend County stand out and helped the project progress is the manner in which elected officials at all levels (LIDs, MUDs, etc.) collaborate despite diverging on certain aspects of projects.

“I won’t say that they always agree, but that’s okay—we learn how to disagree without being disagreeable,” he said. “We’ve had many disagreements on this issue but they’ve never gotten to a point where we’ve said something where we couldn’t get back together and do a great project.”

“I think this will be very exciting throughout the state for people to realize that this community can come together and do a great job,” he added.

The new reused water plant between the Crescent Ridge and Chapel Bend subdivisions will provide treatment, storage and connection to more than 20 miles of than distribution lines throughout the 3,200-acre New Territory.

Thompson explained that reclaimed water has many benefits as not only a water source but as an avenue of cost-effective water production. Over the next 30 years, the New Territory project will save the residents of New Territory and eventually the city of Sugar Land a projected $18 million.

“It’s going to be a significant impact to the community,” Thompson said of the project which was the first major endeavor briefed to him upon his election in 2008.

A similar project exists in the city of Sugar Land today according to Thompson, and he said the New Territory discussion prompted the city to start down that road themselves.

“As you can see we’re moving in that direction and this plan here started the process and encouraged us to keep moving down that path,” he said. Sugar Land will use the New Territory project as the future blueprint for such projects as well as include it in the city’s water master plan.

Thompson presented communities such as the Clear Lake area (which been recycling since 1992) as well as the Riverwalk in San Antonio (which he says is all reclaimed water) as evidence that the New Territory project is not a novel concept, but is a glance ahead for the Sugar Land community.

Community employment of reclaimed water could potentially include street sweeping operations, power generation and the decorative water fountains and features in the master planned communities as well as purple fire hydrants signifying reclaimed water for firefighting use.

“For me it’s really the future of conservation,” Thompson said. “I’d like to thank the foresight of all the MUD and LID directors of New Territory for your vision. You have put us on a path for this project not just here but for the city of Sugar Land.”

“It will also be exciting for the city of Sugar Land because it’s about to annex this area, and it will be a star in the city of Sugar Land’s bonnet,” Patterson said.